: 
1804. ] 
ftyle of drawing, and of colouring, and 
fome of the articles introduced in the paint- 
ing, preclude every doubt-as to i's very 
great antiquity, The name of Cuavu-~- 
‘CER written in Gothic characters on the 
fide of the portrait, appears to me to be 
of the fame origin as the picture itfel!— 
that is to fay—-wriiten at the fame time, 
“and inferted by the hand of the fare 
arcitt. 
It only remains then to enquire—whe- 
ther this porirait, painted in oil, could 
have been produced during the life-time 
of Chaucer, z.¢. betore the year 1401 ; 
or whether it was not painted fome few 
years pofterior to his deceafe. Upon this 
point, I conceive there will always bea 
diverlity of opinion. According to the 
moft> generally received opinions, the art 
of painting in oil was not intro iuced be- 
fore the year ty10. The Brothers Van 
Eyck, of Flanders, have had the honour of 
fetting a reputed example, which was im- 
rediately followed by every painter of 
their time in every country. There have, 
“however, been found in Bohemia feveral 
‘pictures of the 13th century, bearing on 
their furface all the marks of being oil- 
paintings.  Thefe pictures have been 
carefully preferved in the Imperial Gal- 
fery at Vienna; and they have occafioned 
M. Muti of Bafle to write a very learned 
differt ation to prove that oil-painting was 
practifed before the time of the Brotheys 
Van Eyck, who merely contributed io re- 
vive the art by inventing a more eafy pro- 
cefs. If it be true, that the paintings 
‘difcovered iff the Houle of Commons, 
which were produced im the year 1350, 
are executed in oil-colotrs, there can be 
_ solonger a'doubt relative to the an‘iquity 
of the art. tite? 
There is, however, a third folution of 
the problem in queftion, and one which in 
my opinion, is the moft probable. It has 
been fuppoled that many of the pictures 
of the 13th century, which were painted 
in water-colours, have at an alter-perjod 
been ‘covered with a coat of oil, with a 
view to their prefervation, and thar in pro- 
cefs of time, this coat of oil has become 
fo perfectly amalgamated with the colours, 
as to occafion them to be miiaken fcr 
palotings in oil. It is even fuppofed that 
this accidental mixture of oil with ‘paint 
gave rife to the invention of the Brothers 
Van Eyck—It is vo be remarked that in 
-the pictures of the 13th century, to which I 
have alluded, the vilages and hands of the 
perfons reprefented generally appear much 
browner than the painter would originally 
have defigned to make them ;" while on 
4 
Letter of Count Truch/efs.—Speftacle Glaffes. * 
105 
the white drapery and every other virgin 
colour, except green, the oil has failed’te 
produce a fimilar effect. Whatever there. 
fore may be the appearance of oil colour 
on this very curious portrait of Chaucer, 
it by ‘no means prevents the conclufon 
that it was originally painted in water- 
colours, and that the oil has become amat. 
gamated with the paint. Another no 
le(s probable inference might be drawn 5 
namely that an original portrait of Cnau- 
cer painted in water-co'ours might have 
exified before 1410, the epoch, when'the 
invention and practice cf oil- painting was 
rapidly gaining a preference over the 
former; and that the immediate defcend- 
ant of Chaucer caufed a copy of this por- 
trait to be madein oil-colours as better 
adapted to preferve the refemblance of 
his illuftrious anceftor. This fuppotition 
exafily agrees with the appearance of the 
picture in queftion, which exhibits in its 
ftyle all the marks of a painting in oil, 
certainly executed at the very dawn of 
that art about the year 1410. The in~ 
feription of Chaacer’s name, coeval with 
the portrait, leaves no doubt in my opi- 
nion, as to the portrait being a refem- 
blance of the form and drefs of Chaucer, 
and it is therefore highly interefting to 
polterity. I have the honour to be, 
fl Your's, occ. 
JosepH COUNT TRUCHSESS. 
Truchfefian Gallery, 
Feb. 10,1804. ~ 
— fi 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, | 
BSERVING, in two periodical ca- 
temporary journals,as wellas by pub- 
lic advertifements, that Dr. RH. Wollalton 
is attempting to introduce {pectacle-glaffes 
of the torm of a meni/cus as a matter of no- 
velty and improvement, in that {mall, 
but invaluable, article; I beg leave, for 
the information of your numerous readers, 
to fend vou the following fhort animad- 
vetfions thereoa : . 
A. menifeus is, that form of optical lens 
well refembdled by a watch glafs, or a por- 
tion of a gia’s fphere. It is one of the 
common figure of lentes, as given by all 
the writers on optics, and it is the kind 
that Dr. Wollaflon recommended as being 
on a zew principle, and the best-adapted 
for the purpote of fight. Heays it was 
fuggetted to him from the following confi- 
deration: ‘ Suppofing an eye to be placed 
in the centre of any hollow globe of glafs,. 
it is plain, that objeéts would then be 
feen perpendicularly through its furface in 
every direétion, Confequently the more 
. ; Nearly 
